Electric railway system



Nov. 1, 1932. w n 1,885,662

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM Filed Oct. 29. 1931 Patented Nov. 1, 1932' u lsrren srn'rasi HKR0LD KENNETH WIHIEIIEHOBN 0E MAIDS'JZONE,, ENGLAND:

I announces-runny SYSTEM.

Application filed October 29; 1931', SerialNo; 571,882; and. in Great Britain OCtbbGI SOQ 1930.

The object of this invention is to provide ameans of" transport which eliminates the risks attendant on relying on flanged Wheels and also to provide atype of car 'orcarriage- 3 whichwpresents aesymmetrical' surface Whichever way round it meets the/medium (possi blyrarefied) through: which the car moves and also :to' minimize rollingtractive-resistance."

The inventionconsists-inacar of sphericali exterior,- hereinafter called asphericar rolling so. thatiiti has contact at onlyone'or' twopoints such: as either-rolling 'in. a-tube rather larger'indiameterthanthe sphericar: or. rolllfi ingr'on two: railway lines either in open air: of enclosed in :a tube, and being: propelled by: the attraction (towards the :centresof a series ofsolenoids or' electro-magnetic coils (excited i by'vdirect current) .through which the spheri l cars passes; :the.:currentl inthe solenoids being cut; as (in almann'eri' to be described) at'iiaa time; approximately when the sphericar 00- cupies a central position .inany one'solenoid;.

The- CHI'lBHti in the solenoid may beacontrolled by arr-on? an'clfoff contactorvactue tral in the solenoid. The sphericaristhereby attractedand continuessits: journey, after the .352 solenoidicurrentiis-switchedtofl, towards.- .the

next: solenoid: placed approximately coaxiaL.

v Two-railwaylines-maybe the track :onzwhichn the zsphericarrruns; banked. where: 1necessary, such track passing through the solenoids :orz theztraclc mayrbezin aztube:passingrthrough the-:solenoids-p f The-invention wil'lnowbe describ'ed by wayr' ofrexampleswithireference: to: the accompany ing diagrammatic drawingain which lines pass through the solenoid,

' solenoid to assist in assemblyofthe complete Figure 1 f is: a :perspective- *view showing a fornrlofthe inventron whereini two rear- Wheel Figure 3 is a perspective viewshowing thesphericartraveling ina tube arranged withein thesolenoidl c Figure l is a-view in section, partlyin e1e--' vation, showing the point of contact between the sphericarandtube.

Figure 5-is sectional view of a rnodified form otspher-icar; p

Fig. 1 represents a* systern= of? employing two railway lines passing through; the sole noid; in I which case 'there are two points of contact" (see Fig; 2') between thesphericarll and the running rails 2', 2 the solenoid being' indicatedat 3'; the make contact at tt, and the break icontact at 5' I i In Fig: 3 is' shown a system in' which thev sphericar' traVelsinatuhe 6'; and the solenoid 8 surrounds the tube: Thetubeis constructed with ]OlI1 DS" in lincwm-mannen near 1y wound and insulated solenoid,'-the Joints in the tube giving =minimun1 mechaniea-l ter-ference to the smooth interiorofthdtube; the sphericar 'is shown dotted-at 1 whileFig; lfindicates: that there is -only'- one point'of contact between spherical" and tube giving; verylowesttractive resistance; and air resistance may be lessened if the-air'in-thetube-is= rarefiedb'y partial'-'Vacuum created'by exter nal exhausting.apparatus:--

The tube may 'rest on ground level i or" b'esupported on a-raisedira1ne=work over roads or landand the tube-may liar-m part oi'f a"tuhu--- lar bri dge in' crossing the country: The track either as rails 'or' tube; is preferablyykept as' level and straight as possiblei A system with one running rail and'side check rails or' atop check =rai1?may be?employed5 For propulsion tlie' electrio'current to the: 1 solenoids-is direct (not a1 ternating 1 but" 9! alternating current may; be u'sedfor switching- 1 or for braking only Inthe case"--o f a tube thesurface shou-ld havebpenings or slots 501" slitswlien alternating current-is-used in the solenoids ior-brakingf 'inorderto minimize eddy currents in the-tube'-; such openings also reduce the ai-rl'resi-stancee The number of solenoids required forsatisfactory progres sion" will depend on the 'acce-leration 'and speed required; asanexainp'le ofasmall toy after the sphericar has been given its p ropredepelling impulse combined with the termined value of the current at the time the sphericar leaves the end of the solenoid.

An alternative method of timing the operation of the contactors which control the current to the solenoids is toemploy a weak current in the solenoid shortly before it has to be used for propulsion (possibly timed from a previously active solenoid) I so that the,

approaching sphericar entersthe weak magnetic field so produced which will have the effect of inductively altering the value of the weakcurrent in the solenoid, and such alteration of current can be used to operate a, relay or thermionic circuit which in turn leads to actuation of the main contactor for that solenoid. Thermionic-means may also be employed to actuate a relay for a contactor in breaking the coil current at the correct instant, but illustration is not considered necessary in view of the fact that such arrangements-and the actualconnections can be readily devised by those skilled in the art.

In the case of a small toy railway such as the four-foot diameter one mentioned above with about one inch model railway lines the solenoids havebeen operated by hand-switching and time-judged as the sphericar (or an ironball in this case) approaches, the solenoid current being suddenly switched oflf when the small sphericar is approximately central in the solenoid; such a toy could be used in. fairs and amusement places and skill exercised in trying to throw thesphericar (by action of the solenoids) ofi the track, and possibly there might be added amusement by numbered receptacles into which the sphericar couldbe aimedg I The construction of the sphericar will depend on the use for. which it is intended. When needed for conveyance of goods such as mails and other articles which will not be hurt by alteration of position, the sphericar maybe a plain shell of iron, steel or other magnetic materialor partly magneto by portions of iron or magnetic material embedded in a'lighter metal shell; a trap-doorbeing provided to permit putting in and taking out the goods carried when the purpose is animal or passengertransit or conveyance of goods which may'not be turned upside down, then fitted twogyroscope wheels 12, revolving in opposite directions and driven by one or more electric motorsl3 supplied by accumulators 14: in the bottom of the car;--the;g yroscopes preferably run in'vacuum to reduce air friction losses. V

- After the sphericar has attained the maximum speed required and is nearing its destination, the remainder ofv the journey can be effected by coasting through slotted tubes, and as the sphericar nears its destination the slots 15 would be less frequent so that a gentle air-cushioning effect brings the car to rest; the last stage being in tube without slots so that air-compression stops the car. The solenoids over the stopping or coasting section would be out out of circuit for any one journey. Stopping may be efiectedby applying alternating, or direct magnetic;fiux

acting on the outer shell ina solenoid of con-f siderable length without any cut-out to assist in propulsion; such stopping would be inthe form of an eddy current braking action- The sphericar might obviously. carry rings off copper or other [electrical conductor .em-

bedded in its surface "and possibly 'overlapping, so that-eddy effects would be appreciable when required.

The control of the line for any one direction can be electrically operated from. a single point- Normal telegraphy with other elec-- tric operation can be incorporated. It is estimated that the journey from London. to Glasgow would take 44 minutes,limited by the maximum rate ofaccelerationwhich the human heart can stand according to present knowledge.

I claim 1. In an electrictransport system the com-' bination of a track, a spherical body, run ning thereon, and direct-current electro-mag netio coils spaced 'along'the track and energizedto accelerate the said body. alongthe said traclni W 2. In an electrictransport system the combination of a track, a spherical body running thereon, and direct-current electro-magnetic coils'spaced along the track so as to be traversed inlturnby said body and means to energize saidcoils in turn on the approach of the said body to accelerate the said body.

along the saidtrack. r

3. In an electric transport system the combinatlon ofa tubular track, a spherical body running thereon, and .directecnrrent,electroe.

magneticcoils spaced along the track and energized to accelerate the said body along the said track.

4. In an electric transport system the combination of a track, a spherical body running thereon, and direct-current electro-magnetic coils spaced along the track with contactor control means for the supply of current to said coils.

5. In an electric transport system the combination of a track, a spherical body running thereon, and direct-current electro-magnetic coils spaced along the track with contactor control means for the supply of current to said coils the arrangement being such as to cause the said body to actuate the said control means as it reaches predetermined positions relatively to the said coils.

6. A car of spherical exterior in combination with a slotted tube forming a track,

coils surrounding said track at predetermined intervals, and switching means for said coils. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HAROLD KENNETH WHITEHORN. 

